Should German Be Taught in More UK Schools? A Tutor’s Perspective

German has traditionally been one of the major foreign languages taught in UK schools, yet in recent years its presence has waned. The study of modern languages in the UK has seen a notable decline, with German being particularly hard-hit. Once widely offered, German courses have become less common as student enrollment plummeted – A-level entries for German nearly halved from about 4,000 in 2013 to just over 2,100 in recent years. This decline stems from various factors (ranging from policy changes to the perception that German is “difficult”), but it raises an urgent question: Should German be taught in more UK schools? As a professional tutor, I argue yes – learning German offers unique cognitive and educational benefits – but with an important caveat. We must change how we teach it. German should not be reduced to formulaic exam preparation drills; instead, it should be taught as a logically structured, intellectually enriching language that engages students beyond rote memorisation of phrases. Below, I present the case for offering German more widely, and outline how a reformed approach to teaching it can unlock its full value for UK students.

The Case for German: Cognitive and Educational Benefits

Learning German is not just about gaining an extra language – it is an exercise in cognitive development and intellectual growth. German is renowned for its precision and structure, and acquiring it can sharpen students’ minds in ways that go far beyond the language classroom. Studies consistently show that learning a foreign language stimulates the brain and improves key cognitive functions. In the case of German, with its logical grammar and rich vocabulary, students get a mental workout that strengthens problem-solving skills and memorisation. In short, learning German “broadens your linguistic abilities” and “boosts overall cognitive function” by training the brain to recognise patterns, apply rules, and think in new frameworks.

Analytical Thinking and Logic: German grammar is often described as systematic and logical. Mastering its concepts – from consistent pronunciation rules to its orderly sentence structure – requires attention to detail and a methodical approach. This process naturally enhances analytical skills, as learners must think critically and logically to understand how sentences are constructed. The grammatical complexities and pattern-based word formation in German challenge students to discern underlying rules, fostering a deeper understanding of linguistic systems. In other words, German trains students to “learn how to learn” a complex system, a skill transferable to fields like mathematics or computer science, which also rely on structured logic.

Memory and Multitasking: The cognitive benefits extend to memory and mental flexibility. By grappling with German vocabulary and grammar, students exercise their memory regularly – in effect, learning German is like a workout for the brain. They learn to switch between English and German, a practice that improves concentration and even multitasking ability as the brain learns to juggle different linguistic codes. Research on bilingualism has found that multilingual individuals often excel at filtering out distractions and can handle multiple tasks more effectively. Thus, introducing more children to German could help strengthen their overall mental agility from a young age.

Improved Understanding of Language: An often-overlooked benefit of studying German is how it deepens students’ understanding of language itself, including their native tongue. When students learn German, they inevitably compare its structure to English – for instance, why German has four noun cases or how word order changes in a subordinate clause. This contrastive analysis builds a strong grasp of grammatical concepts. Educators have observed that learning German helps students become more proficient in English as well, because it makes them aware of how languages function. By dissecting German sentences, learners gain insight into parts of speech, sentence structure, and etymology, often catching nuances in English that they hadn’t considered before. In short, German acts as a mirror that reflects and clarifies how language works, making students more articulate and knowledgeable communicators overall.

Cultural and Intellectual Enrichment: Beyond cognitive mechanics, German offers a gateway to immense cultural and intellectual riches. Germany (and the broader German-speaking world) has contributed profoundly to literature, philosophy, classical music, science, and history. When taught in schools not merely as a checklist of tourist phrases but as a living language, German can intellectually enrich students. They gain access to the works of Goethe, Schiller, Nietzsche, or Einstein in the original language – an experience that deepens cultural understanding and inspires intellectual curiosity. A German class can thus double as a journey through history and ideas, engaging students’ minds on multiple levels. Mastering German “sharpens analytical thinking, deepens cultural insights... and fosters adaptability in a globalised world”, as one university language department aptly put it. In an era where education should produce well-rounded, culturally literate citizens, offering German is a step in the right direction.

Moving Beyond Formulaic Teaching: Rethinking How German Is Taught

If German is so beneficial, why do so many UK students shy away from it? One key reason is how the language is currently taught in many schools. Too often, language instruction – not just in German, but in other languages as well – becomes fixated on exam-oriented content. Students are drilled to memorise set phrases on predictable topics (“Meiner Meinung nach ist meine Stadt interessant…”), practice canned role-play dialogues, and regurgitate prepared essays to hit GCSE/A-level mark scheme requirements. This formulaic approach might boost exam performance in the short term, but it hollows out the true intellectual value of learning German. Language becomes a box-ticking exercise, not an inspiring subject. As a tutor, I have worked with countless students who achieved passing grades by rote-learning stock answers, yet remained unable to truly use the language or appreciate its structure.

The Pitfalls of “Phrasebook” Learning: Teaching German as nothing more than a list of phrases to copy is a disservice. Yes, students may sound fluent on the exam by using memorised sentences, but this fluency is often an illusion. Educational research warns that while learners can parrot memorised expressions and appear to do well, that alone doesn’t equate to real proficiency. To communicate creatively and authentically in a language, students must learn to manipulate words and grammar, not just recite pre-packaged chunks. In fact, relying on rote-learned phrases can be counterproductive – only highly analytical and motivated learners might eventually break down those memorised chunks to truly understand them, and even then, it “does not replace the need to teach all learners how to create sentences” from the ground up. In simpler terms, if we want students to actually speak and write German beyond the exam room, we must teach them the building blocks of the language and how to assemble those blocks themselves.

Teaching German as a System: The alternative is to approach German for what it really is – a beautifully structured system that, once understood, makes sense. Rather than shying away from grammar, teachers should embrace German’s logical underpinnings and make them accessible and exciting. This doesn’t mean returning to old-fashioned drilling of declension tables out of context; it means demonstrating the inner logic of the language in a student-friendly way. For example, German word order can initially confuse English speakers, but it follows consistent rules – if students learn why the verb sometimes goes to the end (e.g. in subordinate clauses), suddenly the sentence structure is like a puzzle solved, not an arbitrary quirk. Indeed, many learners eventually discover that German is “very logically structured” and easier than expected when taught properly. The key phrase is “depending on how it is taught.” A tutor’s perspective is that we must peel back the curtain and let students see the coherent framework behind what might seem like grammar chaos. This transforms German class from a tedious memory test into a kind of problem-solving workshop, where mastering a tricky case ending or verb conjugation feels like cracking a code.

 German is often seen as challenging, but a thoughtful teaching approach can make it enjoyable and intellectually rewarding for students.

Engagement Through Challenge: Teaching German as a system also means raising expectations beyond the minimal phrases needed to pass. Ironically, many students enjoy a challenge when it is presented in the right way. German can be taught with an element of gamification and intellectual challenge: Can you figure out how this long compound word is built? Let’s deduce the meaning of a new word from its roots. What pattern do you notice in these sentence examples? This approach treats students as young linguists or code-breakers, tapping into their natural curiosity. It also gives them a sense of real achievement – instead of just memorising “ich habe gemacht” for the perfect tense, they learn the rule that all regular past participles start with ge-, and they can apply that rule to any verb on their own. Such knowledge-based confidence is far more durable and motivating than the fragile confidence of having rehearsed an answer that one hopes will match the exam question. Not only does this make for more engaging lessons, it aligns with the broader educational goal of teaching students how to think, not just what to remember. German, when taught through its logic and patterns, hits that goal superbly.

Balancing Structure with Communication: None of this is to say communicative practice should be ignored. On the contrary, once students grasp the patterns, they should be encouraged to use them in conversation and writing about topics they care about. The difference in the approach I advocate is that communication grows out of understanding the system, rather than bypassing it. In practical terms, a reformed German curriculum would still cover everyday themes (family, travel, hobbies, etc.), but the emphasis would shift. Instead of giving students a scripted paragraph about their holidays to memorise, a teacher might guide them to construct their own narrative step by step: first learn the past tense structure, then practice it with varied verbs, then add vocabulary for holiday activities, and finally personalise it into a real description of their vacation. The result is a student who internalises how to express past events in German (a transferable skill), rather than one who memorises an essay titled “Meine Ferien” and promptly forgets it after the exam.

Conclusion: A Call for a New Vision in Language Education

To answer the question posed: Yes, German should be taught in more UK schools – but not by clinging to the status quo. The decline of German in British education is not an inevitability; it is a call to adapt and innovate. We have an opportunity to revive German as a vibrant subject that appeals to students’ intellect and curiosity. By teaching German as a logically structured, intellectually enriching language (and not merely as an exam to hurdle), we prepare students to reap its full benefits. They gain improved cognitive abilities, from sharper analytical thinking to better memory. They develop a meta-linguistic awareness that can enhance their mastery of English and any other language they encounter. They access the cultural treasures of the German-speaking world, broadening their horizons as global citizens. And importantly, they learn how to learn: German’s systematic nature, once unlocked, gives learners confidence that even a “hard” subject can be tackled with reasoning and practice.

For educators and policymakers, the tutor’s perspective offers this insight: the quality of teaching makes the difference. If German is simply offered more widely under the same old approach, students will likely continue to vote with their feet and abandon it. But if we reform how we teach it – emphasising understanding over memorisation, creativity over rote repetition, and intellectual challenge over simplistic “phrase banking” – we can change the narrative. German can flourish in UK schools again when students feel the reward of mastering its challenges and appreciate the logic behind its apparent complexity. In doing so, we will not only save a language program but also foster generations of learners who are better thinkers and communicators. That is a goal well worth pursuing.

In conclusion, broadening German provision is a worthy investment in our education system’s breadth and rigour. Let us teach German more widely, and crucially, teach it differently – as a language that trains the mind, enriches the intellect, and opens doors to both personal and academic growth. The payoff will be students who don’t just pass German exams, but genuinely know German and value the profound skills they acquired in the process.